Wolff may get start in secondary

PHILADELPHIA — Each practice Patrick Chung misses nudges Eagles rookie Earl Wolff that much closer to his first NFL start.

Chung and his ailing shoulder would seem to need a huge rally for him to make the trip to Denver, much less play this Sunday when the Eagles take on the undefeated Broncos.

Chung hasn’t played football since suffering a deep contusion in the Eagles loss last Thursday to the Chiefs.

“It’s up in the air,” Davis said. “He took a big jump from yesterday to today. Hopefully every day is a jump. With the injuries he’s dealing with ... He’s a tough man. If he can go he will go. It’s a tricky injury. Right now I’m not sure.”

Wolff (5-11, 209) was a solid boundary safety at North Carolina State, which is he played about 15 yards off the line in support of the cornerback on the strong side of the field. The fifth round draft choice also was considered a solid wrap-up tackler.

“I’m actually out there with the ones basically getting the reps with them which basically is going to help me through the communications standpoint because you never know,” Wolff said. “Being out there with them actually just allows you to get a better feel for it.”

Veteran Nate Allen is coming off a strong game at free safety for the Eagles. Teaming him with a rookie might seem a liability except for the fact that Wolff has been working into the rotation at safety. Enough that he feels he’s ready to start.

“I just feel real comfortable out there,” Wolff said. “It’s not like I’m out there doing a lot of thinking. I feel like I’m reacting. I’m actually playing football which is what basically got me here. When I first got here I wasn’t real comfortable with everything. I was still moving kind of slow. I wasn’t really reacting as much. But now that I get more repetitions, as I get more plays, I started feeling more comfortable. Right now I feel like I’m very comfortable to the point where when I do go in and start I’ll be ready for the opportunity.”

Getting that first start against Peyton Manning, who feeds on the mistakes of defenders, doesn’t intimidate Wolff. It brings out the competitor in him.

“Great quarterback, one of the best ever to do it,” Wolff said. “Basically he might come and pick at me because I’m a rookie. But I’m going to be ready for, basically, whatever he throws at me.”

NOTES: Shurmur is the point man for head coach Chip Kelly when it comes to replay challenges. “I don’t always have the greatest view of it,” said Shurmur, who coaches from the press box. “We kind of put our minds together up there. In a situation where it warrants a challenge, we say, ‘Hey, coach, you ought to think about doing this.’ We give him that information.” … Broncos head coach John Fox definitely feels the altitude impacts visiting teams at Mile High. “Yeah, I’ve played here many times as a competitor and early you feel it. How you adjust is different every opponent and it’s probably the best home field advantage in the NFL. That’s why I think our home record is so good.” … Finally, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris is excited about playing the Eagles with their up-tempo offense. “We know that’s how teams are going to attack us,” Harris said. “That’s how New England attacked us last year. It’s something that we’ve been practicing for a year and it’s something we think we’re ready for.”